23 May 2009
MANAMA: Encouraged by a limited block on alcoholic drinks, conservative MPs in Bahrain are pressing for a wider ban in the tiny kingdom that's home to a major US naval base. It's the latest attempt to clamp down on alcohol and Western-style nightlife in the Gulf state, which hosts the US 5th Fleet and is also a favorite entertainment spot for people from neighboring Saudi Arabia, who flock to the island's movie theaters, bookstores and nightspots.
Bahrain's rulers have so far resisted demands for widespread alcohol bans by MPs who say bars and night spots violate the country's Islamic character.
Last month, however, they tried to appease conservatives by shutting down bars in one- and two-star hotels.
Instead, it emboldened them to push for more. Last week, Bahrain's conservative-dominated lower house of Parliament passed a motion to ban alcohol in restaurants in an upscale suburb of the capital Manama.
Some lawmakers also urged the government to outlaw alcohol in the entire country and close down all nightclubs. - AP
Copyright The Daily Star 2009.
